The present invention relates, in general, to a dashboard for a motor vehicle, and in particular to a dashboard support placed transversely between windshield pillars of the vehicle body.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
A dashboard support typically includes a support beam, e.g. a tube which is placed between the windshield pillars. In the area of the cockpit, various mountings are provided on the dashboard for retaining the instrument panel as well as further vehicle components, such as vehicle heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, airbag, steering column, center console, fuse box or glove compartment. The dashboard support is intended to satisfy several functions. Apart from reinforcing the vehicle body to absorb energy, the dashboard support should be able to absorb energy in the event of a collision and should be able to connect various spatial points and allow attachment of various mountings. In addition, the dashboard support should be suitable for operation in different frequency ranges because various vibrations are experienced during travel, as a consequence of e.g. excited undercarriage or engine. German Pat. No. 101 12 738 C1 describes an active arrangement for vibration damping by positioning piezo elements in the attachment area between the windshield pillars and the support beam as well as in the attachment area of the steering column on the support beam. Vibration of the dashboard support during travel is determined by sensors and damped by actively applying a compensating vibration.
German Patent Publication No. DE 39 39 822 A1 describes a vibration damping system for a motor vehicle having a control unit to detect interfering oscillations for generating control signals which are sent to at least one control element for operating an oscillating body disposed in the vehicle. The oscillator is used to introduce superimposing and damping phase-shifted opposing oscillations into the motor vehicle. The oscillating body is implemented by a functional element of the vehicle, e.g. battery or engine cooler, and the control element is realized by a piezo-ceramic actuator.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved dashboard support which is constructed to better realize a vibration damping in the area of the instrument panel of a motor vehicle, especially of heavy trucks.